Do You Truly Enjoy Reading the Bible? If so, how much should we spend? The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. I'm interested in all the historical accounts, if any, where the Bible was forbidden/censured to be read, by order of secular powers in the Christian world, i.e. P Today I want to answer four questions: (1) What is greed? Will a professing Christian go to hell if he never shares the gospel? 13:22), so that our trust shifts from the Lord to our riches, or we squander it on selfish living without regard for Gods purposes, were in danger of spiritual ruin. But yeah, anybody else deal with this? But lately I'm beginning to question that move, and wondering, Why have we become so impatient and bored with the Word of God? What do you do to stay on track? These conditions include: Sleep deprivation, or when you continually don't get enough sleep. And we recognize that, when it comes to good teaching technique, extensive quoting of anything can become tedious, and that, yes, it is important to make time in one's presentation for questions. Scan this QR code to download the app now. But God said (Luke 12:20), You fool! Here are some questions to help you take your spiritual pulse with regard to greed: This is the basic stewardship question. /r/Christianity is a subreddit to discuss Christianity and aspects of Christian life. I realize that it takes a lot of time and energy to earn a living. And his disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. 7 Best Bible Study Apps for Christian Women All Free! Get on with it! 8:18), You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. That covenant was Gods promise to bless Israel so that they could bless others (Gen. 12:1-3). 7:7), means desire. It often refers to lust. With regard to things, it means wanting what belongs to someone else. Thanks for posting. So, what I want to do is persuade our new believing friend that it is absolutely essential, after coming to faith in Christ, to be radically, deeply, experientially devoted unshakably, unwaveringly persuaded that reading and meditating on and understanding and memorizing and enjoying the Scriptures is absolutely essential for the Christian life, which would include being in the word every day with the aim that we will meet God there and, little by little, the glory of his truth will fill and transform our lives. I dont know where to begin. (2) How should Christians view greed and wealth? 3) Why do I want If I care more about making money than about being a witness for Jesus Christ, Im being greedy. (John 8:32). Unfortunately, the Bible doesnt use the word distractions or distracted very often, and the Scriptures on distractions (in general) we do find dont really provide much help for actually overcoming these distractions. Thats a sign of greed! Your prayer list and list of distractions arent the only things it can be helpful to write down either. What is the first and most essential thing I need to know to follow Christ by reading his word?, Well, my answer is probably going to be a little bit frustrating, because hes asking for a particular truth in the Bible, and Im going to say, Bible, Bible, Bible, Bible.. While the Bible recognizes personal property rights (the commandments against stealing presume that I own some things and you own other things), there must be the fundamental sense that God owns all that I have. He is a thousand times stronger than you are. Here are nine common but wrong ways to read the Bible: The warm fuzzies approach reading the Bible for a glowing, subjective experience of God, ignited by the words of the text, whether we understand what they actually mean or not. Result: frothy reading. The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25). I try to laugh at myself when I catch myself in such moods: bored with the very revelation of God! The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. COPYRIGHT 2023, EQUIPPING GODLY WOMEN MINISTRIES, LLC. Trust God by giving off the top of your paycheck, not giving if theres something left over at the end of the month. F Its common to yawn several times a day, typically when you wake up and head to bed. Tell her to help me! Luke 10:40 NIV, Pharaoh replied, Moses and Aaron, why are you distracting the people from their tasks? Would I give more to His cause? The good news? By the way, one of the biggest reasons you find yourself distracted during Bible reading may be that you dont actually enjoy reading your Bible enough. He even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. And the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. Our retinas saw everything they see now, and yet, nothing. This is our only hope for defeating a supernatural enemy. As he was greedily scanning the stock prices, drooling over the killing he would make on his investments, his eye glanced across the page to the obituaries where he saw his own name. Verse Concepts. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Our spirit needs to relax, our breathing becomes shallow, and it is at this point where the spiritual push-ups begin. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Why would I want to do that? Pauls answer (Col. 3:1-4) is, Because you have died and have been raised up with Christ. For most of us, giving generously means giving far more than 10 percent. If this is the case, the yawning isn't what's distracting you; it's your response to the distraction. When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, No doubt this man is a murderer. Do I want more to provide more adequately for my family? Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Resist feelings of self-sufficiency that say, I dont need the Scripture every day. Here are my ten reasons. L A man in the crowd said to Jesus, Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me. Being fair, I would have expected Jesus to say, Bring that scoundrel here! And He would have confronted him about his greediness. Schindler was not a Christian and he was not saving souls for eternity. Yawning is the bodys response to feeling sleepy or even bored. Where should we draw the line? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. No yawning. Here are a few additional posts you may enjoy: How to Read the Bible (Easy Instructions for Beginners! This helps cover the many costs of running this site and allows me to help provide for my growing family. And yet we've raised a whole generation of Christians to listen like this. Still, these examples reveal such a feature of current church culture that we might want to question ourselves. Isn't he going to address this issue, or that concern? ), Reading the Bible for Beginners - A Women After God's Own Heart. But rather than deserving heaven, we all no exceptions deserve hell. ), How to Read the Bible Daily (And Make it a Habit). There is no direct mention of yawning in the Bible (Ps 5 : 9 is sometimes mentioned, but its clear that their throat is an open grave is not about yawning). Thank you! We yawn when were bored, but also when were anxious, or hungry, or about to start a new activity. The businessman asked for a copy of the financial news one year in advance. It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. E However, comments that are rude,hateful, malicious, or spammy will be immediately deleted without warning. Thank you for helping me grow spiritually B (Ephesians 4:1314). Ask yourself, Would I get as excited about taking advantage of a strategic opportunity to give to further the Lords work as I would with a great investment opportunity?. And when we listen to the sermon only to hear what seems immediately and directly relevant, neither is that listening. Her work has been featured on CBN, The Christian Post, Crosswalk, and more. In almost every catalog of sins where greed is mentioned, its coupled with sexual immorality. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. For example, you could choose to read your Bible: It doesnt matter when as long as its a time that works well for you that you can stick to consistently enough to read the Bible daily and make it a habit. Whether its external distractions (like the phone ringing, the kids making messes, or the dog barking to go outside) or internal distractions (like your mind wandering),distractions during prayer and Bible study can be a seriously pesky obstacle for many Christians spiritual growth. . This made me realize that during church services as a kid, and the few times I have recently gone, I could yawn over and over and over again the whole time. Home | Blog|Podcast | Free Resources | Books | Courses | Membership | Privacy Policy|Contact. I would just like a little bit more (and more, and more!). How to Study the Bible for Yourself (Easy Beginner Method), How to Stop Getting So Distracted During Prayer and Bible Study, Struggling to Read the Bible Consistently? When Im a multimillionaire, Ill worry about it! Yet we need to realize that Paul wrote Colossians to average Christians in an average small-town church. If we want to be made peaceful and powerful through divine grace, Peter says, it happens in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. That knowledge is found in one place: Scripture. Christians must radically separate themselves from all greed. Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Is all luxury wrong? But in them all, God sustains joy, and he does it by the Scriptures. Infact i also yawned another 3 or 4 times while writing this. Q But, we are responsible to do it! but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. and we cant keep our focus. But if were deceived by our wealth (Matt. The result? WebHere are 14 worthwhile reasons you should read the Bible. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. We listen like a husband and wife listen when they are in the middle of an argument: they listen only so they can have ammunition to mount a counterattack. I yawned three times during this prayer (I apologized to Him for this I dont want to offend haha). 5:5) he warns that the greedy will not inherit the kingdom of God. *This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13, Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. If I sometimes cheat, lie, or steal to get ahead financially or to avoid loss, Im being greedy. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Paul is saying that. Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. R We ALL get distracted sometimesmyself very much included! Pray about major purchases before you buy them. Its How God Reveals His Character And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, The LORD, the LORD, the We should be inching toward the edge of our seats, leaning forward, turning our best ear toward the speaker, Insomnia, a condition But, in fact, we could die today or all our things could be taken from us instantly. The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. If the problem isnt just a quick, fleeting distraction but an actual life problem, you will need to set aside some time to actually deal with the problem if you want it to stop coming back. (1 Timothy 4:16). https://equippinggodlywomen.com/faith/distracted-during-prayer- Share your knowledge, your insights and all the ways you feel God speaking to you and working in your life. Its actually the medium through which God speaks to us. -. Byron Yawn. I don't know. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. I also yawn, interestingly enough, singing hymns in church. It can also be prompted involuntarily when you witness other people yawn, often referred to as contagious yawning. Greed puts a wrong value on temporal things. If you struggle with constant internal distractions, you may wish to write out one or more of these Scriptures on distractions so you can put the verse where you can see it often. Twenty years ago, Republicans, Democrats, evangelicals, gay activists, and African leaders joined forces to combat AIDS. WebI was brought up in a christian household, and I was taught that there were "sins", and I read the bible. My favorite Bible verse. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. I've read that it's due to a shortness of oxygen. We place an emphasis on sharing biblically sound advice and content with one another. So we need to face these matters personally and honestly on the heart level before Him.